Providers vs. Partners

Jun 21
2009
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This is part of my continuing rant about the term ” Service Providers,”  marketing or otherwise.  I’m actually ranting about the term “provider.”  Do we really think anyone gives us more credibility for being a provider versus a preferred supplier or vendor?  If you ask any of your traditional customers what they consider you, I’d bet dollars to donuts it’s not a provider.

OK, so you’re ready to stop being a doctor, lawyer, or marketing chief. What do you become? Please reconsider the MSP (aka Marketing Service Provider) moniker becoming popular in the graphics industries. As it is, few people agree on what “marketing” is so how will they know what you provide as a marketing service provider? If you must evolve to a provider of some sort, consider evolving to a”Media” services. There are a few companies that have successfully rebranded themselves as a Media Service Company.

Notice, they don’t use the word “Provider.” I believe the word “provider” clearly puts you in a supplier box as far as a customer is concerned. I’ll argue what a customer really wants is an expert; a partner in helping them be smarter, do things better, help them fly in achieving their own business aims. A provider is someone who does something for you, rather than someone who works with you.

How did the word “provider” even get into our lexicon?  I keep hearing business consultants liken themselves to doctors doing diagnosis on business health, so perhaps they are the ones who thought “Provider” might be a good term based on commonly referred-to  ”health services providers.”  However, that’s what the insurance companies call them. I call them doctors.  I also don’t think I’m generally getting great service from most of them. It’s not a great model to follow.

Finally, if you are looking to evolve into anything, consider the word “communications.” Communications companies help people get key messages across to defined target audiences. If  your goal is help your customers communicate more effectively with their customers, you may just be part of the emerging communications industry.  Sounds like an exciting place to be.

P.S. And this isn’t to suggest you become a “Solutions Provider” either. For more on this topic, see my article “Identity Crisis”in the NAPL Business Review from August 2008.

*adapted with permission from original post on InsideMarketing.org, 6/21/09, Rhona Bronson, NAPL
Written by Rhona Bronson in: Marketing Service Provider | Tags: , , ,

Don’t Jump on the Blog Train: Why Not to Blog Part 2

Jun 14
2009
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Here are three more reasons why not to blog.  In a world where everyone wants you to jump on board the “Social Media Express Train, there are a few good reasons to stay at the station.    Train station color

  1. Before you get on a train you should know where you’re going.
  2. When people get off the train at your station, it should be a welcoming environment where they want to stay awhile.
  3. Before you get on the train, you should know if you have time to take the trip.

In business speak:

Mission. Before you jump into anything, you should know why you’re doing it and what you hope to accomplish. Does a blog fit in with your marketing plan?  Who are you trying to reach and what do you want to communicate?  Finally, why are you using this medium through which to communicate?  If you don’t know, then you’re not ready to blog.

Priorities. Your first priority in the Internet Age should still be your web site.  This may change over time, but for now, it’s your home base — or for this analogy — the train station.  The purpose of blogs and other social media are to drive people to your web site.  Therefore, before you go taking off for  Bulllet train left parts unknown, make sure your destination (web site) is a place that visitors feel welcomed and want to visit when their own “Search Train Express” pulls into your station.

Time. There’s only so much of it in a day. Do you, or the person blogging for you, have the time? Most companies I see have never figured out how to do a traditional or e-newsletter much less a blog. I could (and would) argue that a blog is easier than a newsletter, but the underlying issues are the same. Do you have the time to consistently post to a blog on a very, very regular schedule similar to a reliable train schedule?

Pro-bloggers post a minimum of once a day, with many using their blogs like Twitter and posting several times a day. In my opinion, this is not necessary in the business environment, but at least once a week is crucial. And, here’s where a blog is very different from a newsletter. Newsletters are acceptable in monthly and quarterly cycles. Blogs are not.

If you want to get started in blogging, don’t let me dissaude you. In fact, contact me. I’d love to help. You could be up and blogging with just a one-hour phone consultation. Or , we can brainstorm solutions that can gives you a blog presence using others in your company or outside resources. But, if you’re not ready to blog, don’t beat yourself up. Blogging, like train trips, needs to be planned and be suited for you.

*adapted with permission from original post on InsideMarketing.org, 6/14/09, Rhona Bronson, NAPL

Written by Rhona Bronson in: Social Media | Tags: , , ,

Why Not to Blog – Part 1

Jun 07
2009
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I’m a big fan of blogging but I don’t recommend it for everyone.  In a speech I gave at GraphExpo last OctoberDo not enter I provided 9 Do’s and 1 Don’t for marketing in the digital age. Blogging was my recommended Don’t. Here’s three reasons why.

1. Most blogs fail.  It’s that simple. The writers lose interest, commitment, don’t think anyone is reading them, don’t market the blogs, don’t engage readers…. this list is endless.

2. Blogs are not websites.  They need to have a person, or defined persons, updating them regularly with a unique voice. A website represents a company. A blog represents a person.  That’s why a company gets a website and a CEO may have blog.

3. Blogs require talent. Writing talent to be specific.  To be read, the blog first needs to be written and, again, in a personal voice. So, if you are going to delegate the blog to a talented employee, know he or she has to also have the authority to write in his or her voice, not yours. Blogs should not be ghost written.

In my speech, I gave other reasons blogging may not be for you.  I’ll save that for a future post. Meanwhile, it should come as no surprise that a huge percentage of blogs are abandoned or fail. In The New York Times, an article on blogging noted that 2008 research showed only 7.4 million out of 133 million blogs had been updated in the last 120 days of the study as tracked by Technorati.

Keep in mind that doesn’t mean that 83% of blogs have failed. Many blogs are designed to be short term. For instance, one created by Julie Powell ran for just over a year, the time during which she was testing Julia Childs recipes.  It was designed to be a diary of her one year experience. That blog resulted in the book Julie & Julia and an upcoming summer movie in which Amy Adams plays Julie and Meryl Streep is Julia. I highly recommend the book for any potential bloggers. It was instrumental in helping me launch my first blog in 2006, and it is still active today.  Hope to see you there. Cross-over readership is always welcomed!
* adapted with permission from original post on InsideMarketing.org, 6/7/09, Rhona Bronson, NAPL
Written by Rhona Bronson in: Social Media | Tags: , , ,